Saraki seeks e-parliament system for Nigeria

THE Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has challenged the Senate Committee on Rules and Business to evolve an e-parliament system to open a new chapter in Nigeria’s legislative history.

Saraki, while inaugurating the committee in the National Assembly complex yesterday, said the vice chairman of the committee and Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, as well as other members including Barnabas Gemade, Kabiru Marafa, Joshua Lidani, David Umaru, Clifford Ordia, Chukwuka Utazi and Uche Ekwunife, were specially chosen to make a difference in managing the day to day business of lawmaking.

Therefore, “you must start this new page in the history of the Senate and I believe those who are members here have the capacity to do that, and that is where we begin to say that the Eighth Senate did make a difference and started to do something innovative and useful,” he said.

“I know that being led by the chairman, the majority leader and also distinguished senators, you must be the one to change the operational modalities of the Senate because that is one of the things we want you to do as you prepare the Order Paper on a daily basis.”

According to Saraki, the committee’s composition also shows that the present Senate is operating a policy of inclusiveness, having put politics behind to face the real work of legislating for the country.

He added: “I think what we are also doing here is showing the world what we have always said, that this is an inclusive Senate.

“This Senate is here to serve the people and I think that having someone like Senator Babajide Omoworare as chairman of the committee also confirms that we are beginning to walk our talk about the composition of committees and allocation of responsibilities based on competence, experience and qualification.”

Earlier, Omoworare pledged that the committee would be innovative and proactive in executing its mandate and “ensure that there is fairness in the scheduling of the business of the Senate.

“The committee notes that after 16 years of democracy, there should be a near uniformity and standard in the Standing Orders of the